Parking meter



Aug. 24, 1943. c. A. Ma-ccoRpY 2,327,538

' PARKING METER Filed OCL. 5, 1942 I 1 45 I: /2 a I /6 I 2! I I870" v 836 .38 40 90 I 0 25 3 a r/A 7! INVENT DR CHARLES A. Mm 5 mm/ ATTORNEYPatented Aug. 24,1343

lJNiTED s'rATes e'rNrorFicE PARKING METER Charles A. MacCordy, Fulton,N. Y. Application October 5, 1942, Serial No. 460,761

(01. nae-s3) 8 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in parking meters.

The principal objects of the invention ar to provide a parking meterwhich is simple and rugged in construction, efficient in operation, and

having a minimum liability of being placed out tion, a portion of themechanism within the meter,

casing being shown in section and another portion in elevation.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially online 22 of Figure 1 Figure 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure l, illustrating the movable orlegal parking signal latched in its visible or signaling position.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on linei-t of Figure 2. y V

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modified form oflatching member for the movable legal parking signal.

Only so much of the meter is shown as is necessary for anunderstanding'of the present invention.

The casing Id of the meter is adapted as is usual for attachment at itslower end, not shown, to the upper end of a suitable stationary post orstandard. At its upper end the casing has a dome portion ll comprising apair of diametrically opposed posts l2, a circular rin l5 fixedlyconnected with the upper ends of the posts I2; a I

cylindrical window it of glass or other transparent material, and a domecap M threaded to ring I5 to hold the window it to the casing. Acircular aperture 23 affords access. between the lower end of the dome II and th main body portion of the casing Ill, and the cap 3 is formedaxially thereof with a pendant cylindrical stationary signal element 58which extends downward preferably to aperture 53. This signal isnormally visible from all directions around the meter and, when visible,indicates that th adjoining parking space has not been preempted' bypayment of the legal fee.

A normally invisible legal parking signal element i9 is mounted withinthe casing below dome I I for movement up through aperture I3 into thedome to a signaling position indicated in dotted lines in Figure. 1 inwhich signal i9 surrounds and conceals from view the stationary signalI8. Signal i9 is cylindrical and has an open upper end and a closedbottom. A guide rod 2o fixed to the bottom of signal It axially of thesignal is constantly slidably engaged in the axial bore M of signal IS."The peripheral surface of signal 98 is of a contrasting color to that ofsignal E9, the periphery of signal I8 being preferably colored red andthat of signal Hibeing preferably colored green. Signal I9 is normallyseated on and supported by a rubber or other suitable cushion or pad 9'held to a frame 25 fixedly mounted within the casing It below apertureIS.

The following spring-returned manually oper able means provided forlifting signal I9 to signaling position. A lifting arm 23 pivoted atoneend thereof at 2 3 to frame 25 has its free endextending under andnormally spaced slightly from the bottom of signal Iii. A link 32 ispivoted. at its upper end at 33 to arm 23 intermediate the ends of thearm and is pivoted at its lower end at 36 to a rock arm 35 fixed onastub shaft 36. Normally arm 35 extends downward from shaft 35 whichisjournaled in frame 25. Shaft 36 is conversely rotative throughapproximately 180 d grees by means of a handle 51 located exteriorlyofthe casing Ill. Handle 57 is fixed on a shaft 59 journaled in andextending through a wall of the casing. Shaft 59 has a socket 69receiving one end of shaft 36. The socket portion of shaft 59 has apin-and-slot driving connection I32 with shaft 36, a pin extendingdiametrically through shaft 36 being engaged in a slot extendingdiametrically across shaft 59 at the mouth end of socket til. Rotationof shafts 3Egand 5% is limited to approximately 180 degrees byengagement of a pin Ed, fixed to shaft 59 and a shaft collar kit, withone orv the other of two stop pins 65tiii' fixed to a wall of casingIii. A return spring coiled about shaft and anchored at its oppositeends to the casing and collar 63, normally rotatively urges the shaftsand handle 5? counterclockwise as the meter is viewed in Figures 1 and 4to urge pin 84 against stop pin 65.

Handle 57 is free at all times to be manually rotated clockwise inopposition to spring 55'! until pin 6 engages pinlifif and to bereturned to normal position by said spring. If the handle is turned andreleasedwithout inserting the proper coin in the meter, the signal l6will immediately drop back to its normal concealed position.

Signal 59 is adapted to be latched in signaling position by means of alatch lever '56 pivoted at l! on frame This lever has an upper arm T6",the upper end of which is movable under the bottom of signal E9 to latchor prop up said signal in its signaling position, the maximum throw ofarm 23 being sufiicient to lift signal l9 slightly above signalingposition and high enough to permit free movement of the upper end oflever armiil" under the bottom of the signal. Latch lever it isconstantl biased to move to latching position by an enlarged or weightedlower arm '58 of the lever, and also preferably by a leaf spring 2i, oneend of which is anchored to casing it) and the other end of whichpresses against lever arm 76 to urge said arcm toward the signal 59.Preferably the lower arm '16 of lever Til is guided between frame 25 anda guide block or plate 23 held to said frame, and said lever is arrestedin signal latching position by a pin '63 held to said frame and guideblock.

The latch lever or prop 16 is normally held out of latching position bya pin l3 fixed on a clockwork driven arm M which is fixed to shaft til.Arm M is normally driven by the clockwork mechanism in counterclockwisedirection (as the meter is viewed in Figure l) to a position in whichpin it has engaged lever arm it and rocked the lever to the positionshown in Figure 1, at which time further rotation of arm '54 by theclockwork is arrested by engagement of the pin with the upper end of aslot 96 in a part of frame 25. Slot 96 is concentric with the axis ofrotation of arm 7 H. The clockwork mechanism 80 is of conventionalconstruction, and said mechanism and a shaft i! driven thereby, aremounted in a frame 82 held by screw/s83 to frame 25. The clockworkmechanism includes the usual clock escapement controlled spring motor 3!When arm M is swung clockwise as viewed in Figure 1 from the position.shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines, it will be slowlydriven back to normal position by the clockwork mechanism. The throw ofthe arm "M is regulated in accordance with the desired legal parkingperiod.

Fixed on the shaft 36 within the frame is a conversely ro-tative coincarrier or driving disk if! having two projections or peripheralenlargements 4i and 42, the outer peripheral edges of which areconcentric with the axis of the disk and which projections definetherebetween a sebmental coin receiving and driving notch or socket 62,the edge of which fits about half way about the periphery of thepredetermined legal parking com.

A coin slot or chute d3 formed in frame 25 leads downward from a coinslot 44 in casing It to the coin carrier above the axis of the carrierand thence around the periphery of the carrier at the right of thecarrier to a point below the axis of the carrier and thence verticallydownward to a point opposite a coin receiving slot 46 in a coinreceptacle it. Receptacle 46 is mountedwithin the lower part of casingI6 preferably in the manner shown in my aforesaid prior application forUnited States patent. A by-pass coin chute or slot 43 in frame 25 curvesaround the carrier toward the left as viewed in Figure 4 as shown andrejoins the main chute below a suitable known carrier releasable coindetent 85, which as is common in the art, normally projects into thecoin'chute to arrest a coin and is temporarily moved out of the chute bysuitable means when a new coin is inserted in the meter and the controlhandle is actuated.

The notch 52 in the coin carrier 46 normally face upwardly and isnormally located just to the right as viewed in Figure l of the point ofjuncture of the upper end of the by-pass chute portion with the mainchute. The pin 13 on arm l4 projects into the main chute where thelatter curves around the carrier and is normally located immediately tothe right (as viewed in Figure 4) of the notch 52 in the normal positionof the operating handle 51 and carrier 46. In the normal coin-releasablelatch for preventing such turning and hence no possibility of derangi-ngoperation of the meter by breaking of such a latch by careles ormalicious manipulation of the handle when no coin has been inserted inthe meter. I

In Figure 5 a slightly modified form of latch lever 70 is shownproviding means whereby the legal parking period may be readily variedIn this construction the lower arm 16 of lever 10 is provided with anadjustable element 96 having an inclined edge for contacting the pin 13on arm 14. Element 96 is adjustably clampedto lever arm 16 by clampingscrews '91 passing through slots 98 in said element and threaded intothe lever arm. By adjusting the element 96 up or down on arm 76, theparking period orthe time the signal l9 will remain latched up] may bevaried. Y H The operation of the meter may be briefly summarized asfollows:

The proper coin is inserted into the meter through slot 44 and passesdown chute 43 .until it comes to rest in notch 52 in the carrier disk40, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. Handle. 5'! is then turnedclockwise, whereupon the coin carrier will be rotated approximately 180degrees and the coin will drive pin 13 in a path eccentric to the axisof the carrier into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, andthereafter pass 1 said pin and pass into the lower vertical part of athe chute where it will be detained by detent out of engagement withcarrier 4!] until the detent is released in the known manner. The degreeclockwise turning of the handle also correspondingly rotates shaft 36 toswing arm 23'. upward to lift signal l9 into the position shown indotted lines in Figure 1. During a'slight initial portion of thecoin-drivenmovement of pin", said pin releases the latch lever 16 whichswings towardits signal latching position shownindotted lines inFigure 1. When the handle is released and spring-returned, the signallifting means re-.

turns to normal position and signal l9 lowers slightly until it seats insignaling position on the upper end of lever 18. Thereafter theclockwork. drives arm 14 and pin '13 slowly'back to normal position,said pin during a slight final portionof said "clock-driven movementthereof engaging lever l6 and rocking it to signal unlatching post-j jtion, whereupon signal 19 drops by gravitypfrgm signaling position toconcealed position, coming to rest on thecushion block 9. If handle 51isturned without inserting a coin, signal 19 will be lifted but willimmediately drop when the handle is released.

I claim:

1. In a parking meter having a casing and a signal pendently andstationarily. mounted in the casing, said casing including means throughwhich said stationarily mounted signal is normally visible substantiallyentirely around the meter, the combination of a cup-shaped verticallyshiftable legel parking signal adapted to substantially entirely enclosethe stationarily mounted signal and slidably connected with the latter,stationary supporting means. in the casing upon which the legal parkingsignal is normally seated to support said signal in an invisibleposition in the casing, a shiftable supporting member in the casingconstantly biased to move to a, position for supporting the legalparking signal in an elevated visible signaling position in which itsubstantially entirely conceals the stationarily supported signal, aclockwork driven member engageable with the shiftable supporting memberand normally urged to a position in which it holds said supportingmember out of supporting engagement with the legal parking signal,manually operable spring-returned thrust means contactive with the legalparking signal to lift it for support thereof by said shiftablesupporting member and spring return of said means independently of thelifted signal, and coin driving means in the casing operable by signallifting manual movement of said manually operable means to cause adriven coin to drive said clockwork driven member reversely apredetermined distance out of contact with the shiftable supportingmember and then discharge the driven coin from said coin driving means.

2. In a parking meter, a, casing including a portion for exposing alegal parking signal, a legal parking signal, fixed supporting means inthe casing normally supporting said signal in a concealed position belowsaid signal exposing portion of the casing, means for guiding saidsignal to move up and down for exposure and concealment thereof, athrust member contactive with said signal to move it upwardly to exposedsignaling position, spring-returned manually operable actuating meanspositively connected with said thrust member to actuate the latter andincluding an operating handle located exteriorly of the casing, saidactuating means being constantly free for manual actuation and springreturn thereof, a movable signal support mounted in said casing andconstantly biased for movement thereof into a position to support thelegal parking signal in exposed position following lifting thereof bythe thrust member, a coin driver reversely movable by said actuatingmeans to drive and discharge therefrom on the handle operated stroke ofthe actuating means a coin inserted in the meter, an oppositely movablemember mounted in the casing, and means for constantly urging saidoppositely movable member in one direction at a regulated speed into aposition in which it engages and holds the movable signal support out ofsignal supporting position,v

said movable member being movable in the opposite direction by a coindriven by said driver to free the movable signal support from cont ttherewith for a predetermined time interva 3. A parking meter comprisinga casing h' ing means through which a legal parking sig is exposable toview, a legal parking signal gui for movement within the casing from anorrna concealed position to an elevated exposed signaling position,means to support the signal in concealed position, spring-returnedmanually operable meansincluding a thrust member contactive with thesignal to elevate it to exposed signaling position, a signal, latch.biased to automatically tion of said spring-returned signal elevatingmeans following delivery of a predetermined coin to said coin-controlledmechanism.

4. A parking meter, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coin-controlledlatch releasing mechanism comprises a coin driving disk converselyrotative about a horizontal axis through substantially one half of arevolution by the manually operable spring-returned means, meansaffording a coin chute extending downward in the meter and havingbranches joining above and below the axis of the disk and passing aroundthe periphery of the disk, said disk having two peripheral projectionsfor partial insertion of a coin therebetween for driving of the coin andeach blocking a difierent one of said branches at the upper juncturethereof in the normal position of the manually operable means, a latchreleasing member drivable along one of said branches by a driven coinabout an axis eccentric to that of said disk out of engagement with thelatch until said coin passes said member and is discharged from the diskinto said branch, and a clockwork mechanism for automatically reverselydriving said member to release the latch, the projection blocking theother branch of the a chute being movable to clear said branch by themanually operated stroke of the spring-returned means to permit surpluscoins to by-pass the coin driving disk.

5. In a parking meter, a casing, a legal park; ing signal movableupwardly from a concealed position within the casing to an exposedposition, means to support said signal in concealed position, a latch toengage the signal to hold it in exposed position and constantly biasedtoward latching position, handle operated spring-returned means adaptedfor thrusting said signal to position for latching thereof and to returnto a normal idle position, a latch releasing member, a coin drivingmember, said members being conversely rotative through a portion of arevolution about parallel axes, the coin driving mem her beingpositively rotative by said handle operated means at all times andadapted to be coupled by a coin to said latch releasing member to drivethe same in one direction out of contact with the latch until the drivencoin is free to pass the latch releasing member and then to dischargethe coin, and a clockwork mechanism constantly tending to drive thelatch releasing member to latch releasing position.

6. A parking meter, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the signal latchcomprises a lever pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis and having anupper arm engageable with the signal to prop the latter up in exposedposition and a wer arm engageable by said latch releasing ember torelease the latch and normally hold released.

7. A parking meter, as claimed in claim 5, herein the signal latchcomprises a lever pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis and having anupper arm engageable with the signal to latch the latter in exposedposition and also having a lower arm, said lower arm having a contactelement engageable by the latch releasing member and adjustable on saidarm to vary the length of time the latch is maintainable in latchingposi- I tion. c

8. A parking meter, as claimed in claim 5, having a fixed signalnormally visible from substantially all points around the meter, andwherein the legal parking signal is formed andarranged to telescopeabout said fixed signal and to conceal the latter when the legal parkingsignal is latched in elevated position by its latch."

CHARLES A. MACCORDY,

